Locking means for hold-down brackets



Feb. 19, 1957 A. PETERSON LOCKING MEANS FOR HOLD-DOWN BRACKETS Filed June 10, 1953 INVEN TOR.

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United States Patent LOCKING MEANS FOR HOLD-DOWN BRACKETS Albert Peterson, Saginaw, Mich., assignor to The Columbia Mills, Inc., Syracuse, N.Y.

Application June 10, 1953, Serial No. 360,783

3 Claims. (Cl. 160-328) This invention relates to securing means of the type I used to draw taut and secure the free end of flexible storm windows, window screens, and other equipment of a similar nature for releasably securing same to a window sill or other support, and more particularly to a means for locking the locking lever in its locked position.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a very simple, practical, and inexpensive holddown bracket and locking clip adapted to be mounted on a window frame for engagement with the bottom bar of a flexible storm Window or screen strip to engage and securely hold the screen tightly against the window sill, or in any other predetermined, raised position of adjustment, and to lock same against operation by any unauthorized person seeking entrance to the room through the window.

Another object is to design a holddown bracket equipped with an easily operable locking lever, and provide simple and economical means interlockingly engageable with said lever for securing it in locked position.

A further object is to design a holddown bracket having a manually actuated locking lever, and provide means associated with said bracket to lock said lever and prevent manipulation thereof by unauthorized persons, outside the building, seeking entrance to the room through the window by use of wires, picks, or other tools used to pick locking devices of various kinds.

Still a further object is to design a substantial storm window and screen securing hold-down bracket of neat and pleasing appearance, equipped with means for automatically locking the locking lever when said lever is swung to lock position, all of which can be easily manufactured and assembled, and which can be formed of stampings, thus lending itself to mass-production with the subsequent savings in manufacturing costs.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the-form, size, proportion, and minor details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, face elevational view of a window frame, showing my holddown bracket mounted on the window frame and associated with a frameless, flexible screen, the locking lever being shown in unlocked position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, face elevational view of the holddown bracket, also showing the locking lever in unlocked position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, transverse sectional, plan view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and showing the locking lever in its locked position. I

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the locking clip swung out to release the locking lever.

2,781,837 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 The instant invention is broadly directed to means for securing the holddown lever in its locked position, the bracket proper being shown in Patent No. 2,624,404, granted January 6, 1953, to Fred J. Burns, and I therefore do not deem it necessary to describe the bracket in detail, except to show and describe the association of the locking lever with the instant locking means.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a conventional window frame, and in the instant illustration, the frame opening is covered by a sheet of flexible screen 6, the upper end being connected to the top bar (not shown) and the lower end being connected to a bottom bar 7 all as set forth in the patent above referred The holddown bracket is generally indicated at B, the main body being in the form of a stamping, triangular in cross-section, and rolled as at 8 to form a rib for reinforcing purposes, the leg 9 being secured to the window frame 5 by means of screws (not shown) or the like as usual. A slotted opening 10 is provided in the leg 11 of the main frame as shown, and a locking lever L is pivotally connected to said frame by means of a rivet 12, said locking lever being preferably U-shape'd in cross section so that it readily straddles the leg 11 on the main body of the bracket.

A U-shaped link 13 is connected to the locking lever L at the point 14, said link projecting downwardly and straddling the leg 11 with a pin 15 mounted in the lower end of the link and extending through the slotted opening 10 for travel therein when the locking lever is actuated. An enlarged head 16 is formed in the one end of the pin 15 and is engageable with the bottom rail 6 of the screen in any desired manner, so that when the lever 11 is swung downwardly, the lower edge of the bottom bar 7 will be forced snugly against the face of the Window sill S.

An L-shaped clip C is mounted on the body bracket B in position as shown, and an elongated rivet 17 serves to secure said clip to the main body of the bracket, said rivet projecting beyond the clip and a spring 18 is interposed between the head 19 of the pin and the face of the clip C, the leg 20 of the clip C bearing against the inner face of the leg 9 when the locking lever is swung upwardly as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

, The free end 21 of the clim C is bent outwardly from the face of the bracket, and a downwardly inclined tab 22 is pressed into the clip directly adjacent the free end thereof. An opening 23 is provided in the locking lever 11 in position as shown, the tab 22 being directly in the path of swinging travel of the opening 23 in the lever, and when the lever is swung to locked position, the tab 22 springs into the opening 23 in the lever to secure it in locked position.

When it is desired to release the locking lever 11, the operator merely raises the free end 21 of the clip, compressing the spring 18, and raising the tab 22 out of engagement with the opening 23, so that the locking lever is then free to swing up to release the bottom bar of the screen.

While in the instant illustration I have shown a detent or tab on the clip C, it will, of course, be obvious that any other desired locking means may be employed,

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have provided a very simple, practical and economical locking clip for automatically and securely locking the locking lever in its locked position.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with an angular holddown bracket mounted on a window frame and having a face secured to a side of said frame and a face extending laterally therefrom, said laterally extending face having a slot therein adjacent its junction with said laterally extending face,

an angular clip including a leg extending loosely through said slot alongside the face of the bracket which is secured to the window frame, said clip having a l'eg"extending laterally adjacent said laterally extending face of the bracket and swingable away from the said face of the bracket in a generally angular plane relativethereto, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said bracket and swingable laterally inwardly into sandwiched relation with said laterally extending bracket face and clip into overlying relation with said bracket, means urging thelaterally extending leg of the clip toward said laterallyextending face of the bracket, and disengageable means on said lever and clip engageable in interlocking relation when the lever is swung laterally inwardly to overlying relation 2. The combination defined in claim lin which said laterally extendin'g leg of the clip terminates at s ubstantially the edge of said bracket and the free end thereof is inclined outwardly.

3. The combination with atholddown bracket mounted on a window 'framey and having a'support face witha slot therein, an L-s haped'clip mounted on said support face with one leg loosely engageable in said slot and its free end swingable away from the face of said bracket in a generallyangular plane relative thereto, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said bracket in generally coplanar relationship therewith and swingable inwardly between said bracket and clip into overlying relationship with said bracket, an elongated rivet in the bracket and projecting through said clip at a point intermediate its length, a spring interposed between the outer face of the clip and one end of the rivet for pressing said clip into engagement with said lever as it is swung to overlying position, and disengageable means on said clip engageable in locking relation with said lever when the lever is swung inwardly to overlying relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,064,839 Kroll et al. Dec. 22, 1936 20 2,299,584 Low Oct. 20,1942 2,624,404 Burns Jan. 6. i952 

